Metallic furniture



Jan. 29, 1946. c. L. DEWEY METALLIC FURNITURE Filed Aug; 3, 1942 3 Sheds-Sheet 1 9 0 c. L. DEWEY 7 2,393,1 1

METALLIC FURNITURE Filed Aug. 5, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 29, 1946. c L. DEWEY METALLIC FURNITURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 3, 1942 Patented Jan. 29, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METALLIC FURNITURE Clarence L. Dewey, Elkhart, Ind. Application August 3, 1942, Serial No. 453,455 9 Claims. 7 (Cl. 155-194) I The present invention is directed to articles of furniture such as chairs, divans, sofas or the like, which are constructed upon a metallic frame with the seat and back suitably upholstered in any desirable manner.

' In the manufacture of furniture of this general character it has been customary in the past to form the frame from sections of tubing of uniform cross section throughout and bent to the required shape, but this method of building furniture not only fails to distribute the metal of the tubing in the most desirable manner to resist stresses with a minimum of weight, but is also unsightly and monotonous in appearance, in that the lack of diversity in the configuration of the legs, arms and other portions of the structure tends to impart to the furniture a displeasing mechanical regularity which renders it impossible to design and style the furniture in such a way as to harmonize with artistic and tasteful surroundings. v

The present invention is directed primarily to the proper configuring of the structural elements which enter into the framing of the furniture in such away as to advantageously distribute the metal and at the same time introduce pleasing features of design which may be varied within a considerable range so that-variety rather than monotonous uniformity may be obtained in furniture of this character.

This is particularly the: case in connection with the legs which may be tapered downwardly toward the feet of the chair or other articles so that lightness in appearance combined with adequate strength will be obtained;

Further objects and details of the invention will appear from the description thereof in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a chair or similar article of furniture embodying the features of the present invention;

.Fig. 2' is a front elevation thereof;

. Fig. 3. a plan view' of the seat of the chair;

- Fig. 4 a side elevation of a divan or the like;

Fig. 5 a front elevation of a portion thereof; Fig. 6 a sectional elevation of the lower end of one of the legs;

Figs. 7, Band 9 three views of a section of tubing showing the tubing during three stages in its fabrication, and;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12 three cross sectional views of the configured tubing of Fig. 9 taken on the lines'llll0, ll-.ll and [2- 12 respectively.

The tubing employed in the building of the furniture of the present invention is first subjected to a tapering and configuring operation which may be advantageously performed by the machine and method set forth and described in the Dewey patent, No. 2,265,723, issued December 9, 1941.

In conformity with the method of the Dewey patent, a length 20 of cylindrical tubing of proper diameter and gauge as indicated in Fig. 'I is subjected to a configuring operation which results in the formation of a unit section which is of circular cross section throughout but of varying diameter. The unit section comprises a center body portion 2| which terminates at each end in a forwardly tapering section 22 which at its terminus is oifset to afford a shoulder 23 merging into a neck portion 24 which latter is offset and merges into a terminal portion 25 of equal diameter with the section 2|. In the completion of the foot of the leg as will hereafter appear the neck and terminal portions are out off and discarded. i

The unit section thus formed is symmetrical in that each end portion is the counterpart of the other, but it is not essential that such sym metry be maintained especially in cases where it is desired to have the front leg of the chair of greater length than the rear legs, nor is it essen tial that the cross sectional areas be maintained uniform at each end since it may be desirable, for purposes of styling or otherwise, to vary the configuration to conform to the intended design. However, for the present purposes it will suffice to describe a formation in which the front and rear legs are counterparts in length and in design throughout, and the unit section of tubing is configured accordingly.

After the unit section has been configured to the shape above described, it is subjectedto further fabrication by a flattening process which flattens the center or body portion to the cross sectional configuration indicated at Zia, which produces a relatively broad flattened tubular structure which will ultimately be bent to arch formation to afford the connecting arm for the unified structural element which affords the front and rear legs and connecting arm on one side of the chair. I

The flattening is more extreme in the body section Zia but the squaring continues throughout the inner portion of each tapering section to produce a paneled upper leg portion 22a which is squared in cross section as will appear from Fig. 11' but with rounded corners, and the paneling effect in diminishing degree will continue I desired.

outwardly toward the end of the leg but will 7 terminate short of the neck 23 in which region the previous circular formation is retained.

The mergence of the widely distended and flatbut greater depth than the body section, affords shoulders 22b which taper inwardly from the edges of tthebody section as .yiewedcinaFigfl .to meet the associated leg but diverge :outwardly from the opposed flat faces of the body section to conform to the difierential in cross section'between the body section and the legs, which conf stitute extensions therefrom, and this is des'irable in order to provide in the completed lchair -frame a pair of broad fiat arms which arch downwardly at their ends and merge through ithe shclll'dereil portions into tapering legs, which are ,substantially square in cross section throughout the major ;portion of their lengths, although git wvill be understood that the yfour sided ,tpaneli g rand tapering there --shWI1 serve merely :for purposes of illustration and {that'yarious ;pelygonal gpanel designs tether than the four faces -..of a -,square may be given and that such panels may be ;com-' bined with circular ;areas in any way which harmoniously conforms ;-to the efiectdesired by the designer.

lllhe leg. and connectingwarm'astructure {suitably eonfiguredis transformed into an :element Ein ;the chair ,frame by bending :theeendsqoftthe efiattened body rsection' at points immediately "adjacent :to

,theashouldered connecting sections,- to giyeeto-zthe structure :as a wholefanarch .iormation with the front and rear-liegs -standingvvertically or nearly so,-.and with theaflattened intermediatemody section transformed :into a :broad arm -which :may be "enclosedfly a covering of upholstery 26' :01

otherwise -finished ,-in wan-y :desi-red zm'anner.

arched frame elements of the character described is zsecuredaby :nailsflzfia corcother attaching :m'eans to ltheiuppergporti'ons :of ct'he legs itofafiordiatnomgpattern unperie parts, but if desired, the base and socket may be welded together or otherwise united.

It is not intended however that the claims be limited to a foot formed in precisely the manner shown, since if desired the entire foot portion of the leg may be integrally formed therewith by rolling or spinning in the metal to the extent required to make direct contact with the floor.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown the same structural formation applied .tola divan tor .the like, tbut therformation of the parts, savejin' matter of proportions, is substantially identical with that previously described, so that further description is deemed unnecessary. It will further be under- IS istood'that the examples here shown serve merely pletetzchairsframegallsportions dfwliich are rigidly united together. a v

1iThetse'at-iframexafiords a support for a seat z'l into; and is supported-upon "the frame and-Which may be Iupholstered or fini's'he'd in any *tles'ired manner. !Ihe=c'hair is:comple'ted by the provision of a cback 29 'whi'chis suitably secured between the framerelem'ents, but it will be understood that the finish and back of the chair or other-article of furniture constitute no portiondfthepreserit invention and may "be changed or modified as shoulder 23 to 'afiorda 'suificient -"length idf imiaterial to "be spunor "spherically rolled joverfto.

afford an enlarged foot socket 30 "for :the reachtion of "a'cup-shape'dtread or'base member?! having a flat floor contacting bottom f32'which protrudes through "and beyond "theend offs-the cup socket nopos'itionitol make contact ,with the floor. "Thesph'erically rounded .walls o'f, the.eupshapedi base member I3| land ,the foot socket. 30

engage ..one another throughout ,su'fflciently 'extended range to ,'prevent displacement @of the tor pll tpcsesgof illustration, and that numerous modifications in detail, in the shaping and promortioningrofcthe arched structural elements; and in the styling and paneling of the legs, may be made'without departing from the spiritof the invention. V

tFlat n e h esof the lee z me ve axpaneled effect t e :p n of t exp sed surfaces, in conjunction with the rounded cqr rs shown, serves to multiply and diversify :the highlights reflected from t-the -;s urface, especially in cases where a :bright :fin sh :is sempl yed, and (this, I- gethervwiththeztaperin :andshapineflfithalegs, reatly adds 1 20 the a ractiven ss of the-zdesie while. at theisam e :time {by {distributing :the #metal inithe mannershown,ample;strengthrandirigidity lat-all pointssaneisecured-with a minimum weight .of metal {and itola m tereatemlegree :thanzis p le in :the use Lof'tubing;Qf-1uniform:diameter throughout twhichjs \commonlygemployed rat the PI SG m i H H manufacture cit-metallic Iurniture. l

The ;invention is one :WhiQh'fiIIabIGS -:the :basic configuration ;to be v:securecl byythe ;emplpyment of A the machinerand gmethod ;of the Dewey i patent previously referred to, which impartszthetbasic .connguratienaand wall :thioknessicom icentinuous Section t b n :after "which, shy imerelygfiate tening -the :SQQUOII at the; reuuired points, :-and

' spinning gr rolling down zthe ;f,oot portion sand bending the iarmitoiget the desiredtarch zformati0n,-d;he sectiomis transformed-untoiazstructural elementlof g-reatstren thand rigiditygwhiclrmay be lreadily incorporated :into the framemfla chair or the like, so that the entirextstructureman'she produced with aminimum of liabricatipn .anzdfin a multiplicity :ef different :.'designs; .zand .=.-without the.necessitygfortemplcying extraneous meanssfo fastening thegparts together. g

Moreover, the method employed .zenables the walrthickness to; beaauvantageousty ivari'edgas for instance, :by :prngnessivel-y :increa'sing 'th'e wall thickness toward :thelower :endmf rthe :le'g ms indicated in Fig. 6, so that the maximum thickness will toccur atthegbase :of the :shoulder e23 which is the ;point rof :"minimum idiameter, :after which the metal of the globular footrlsccketisthinnefd down to embrace :themumshapsd :base member. By thusfdistributingi thei metal, 1 an;appearanceaof light weight; is ,attainedwvithoutisacrifice of hadequate1stren thttol'resist allgstressesvto whichithe rticle of-lfurniture,mayabeisubjected.

I claim: V ;1.g A structural ;element for gmeta'l-lic furniture in the l-vform :Of {a zcontinuousesection ztubingi tapered toward its end portions garrd Lhavin'githe endgportion's bent;downwardly ito-sproviiie spaced legs ecnnectedrbyrran arch dzarmiportiontheiarm portion ebeinggfiattened :presenit ga relatiyely diameter vertically, and the tapered leg portions having flat faces throughout at least a portion of their length to present a paneled effect.

2. A structural element for metallic furniture in the form of a continuous section of tubing tapered toward one end portion and having the end portions bent downwardly to provide spaced legs connected by an arched arm portion, the arm portion being flattened to present a relatively great diameter horizontally and a relatively small diameter vertically, and the tapered leg portion having a flat face throughout at least a portion of its length to present a paneled effect, the lower terminus of such leg being enlarged and spherically rounded to provide a foot portion.

3. A structural element for metallic furniture in the form of a continuous section of tubing tapered toward one end portion and having the end portions bent downwardly to provide spaced legs connected by an arched arm portion, the terminus of the tapered leg being enlarged and spherically rounded to provide a foot portion, and a cup-shaped socket within such foot portion and protruding therefrom to make floor contact.

4. A structural element for metallic furniture in the form of a continuous section of tubing tapered toward one end portion and having the end portions bent downwardly to provide spaced legs connected by an arched arm portion, the arm portion being flattened to present a relatively great diameter horizontally and a relatively small diameter vertically, the terminus of the tapered leg being enlarged and spherically rounded to provide a foot portion, and a cupshaped socket within such foot portion and protruding therefrom to make floor contact.

5. A structural element for metallic furniture in the form of a continuous section of tubing tapered toward one end portion and having the end portions bent downwardly to provide spaced legs connected by an arched arm portion, the

in the form of a continuous section of tubing tapered toward its end portions and having the end portions bent downwardly to provide spaced legs connected by an arched arm portion, the lower terminus of each leg being enlarged and spherically rounded to provide a foot portion, the wall thickness of the legs progressively increasing to a maximum at the juncture with the foot portion and thereafter being reduced within the enlarged foot portion.

7. A structural element for metallic furniture in the form of a continuous section of tubing tapered toward its end portions and having the end portions bent downwardly to provide spaced legs connected by an arched, arm portion, the arm portion being flattened to present a relatively great diameter horizontally and a relatively small diameter vertically, the lower terminus of each leg being enlarged and spherically rounded to provide a foot portion, the wall thickness of the legs progressively increasing to a maximum at the juncture with the foot portion and thereafter being reduced within the enlarged foot portion.

8. A structural element for metallic furniture in the form of a continuous section of tubing tapered toward its end portions and having the end portions bent downwardly to provide spaced legs connected by an arched arm portion, the arm portion being flattened to present a relatively great diameter horizontally and a relatively small diameter vertically, and the tapered leg portions having flat faces throughout at least a portion of their lengths to present a paneled effeet, the lower terminus of each leg being enlarged and spherically rounded to provide a foot portion, the wall thickness of the legs progressively increasing to a maximum at the juncture with the foot portion and thereafter being reduced within the enlarged foot portion.

9. As an article of manufacture, a furniture frame consisting of two metallic tubular structural elements each of arch-shaped formation and comprising a connecting medial portion constituting an arm relatively broad on its horizontal diameter and relatively shallow on its vertical diameter, the arm portion at each end being bowed downwardly to provide front and rear downwardly tapered legs, having flat faces throughout at least a portion of their lengths to produce a paneled effect, each leg terminating in an enlarged foot, and a seat frame rigidly connected with both legs of each structural element.

CLARENCE L. DEWEY. 

